Shadowing Practice: IELTS Speaking Part 2: Describe a Difficult Decision You Made - Learn English Speaking with Video
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26 sentences
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1
Now, I'm going to give you a topic to talk about.
2
Please describe a difficult decision you made.
3
You have one minute to prepare. Here's some paper.
4
Thank you. This one is quite personal for me.
5
All right, your time is up. Please start now.
6
I'd like to talk about changing my university course.
7
Three years ago, I was studying medicine in Hanoi.
8
My parents were so proud, but I was miserable.
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Every morning, I dreaded going to lectures.
10
The only thing I enjoyed was drawing in my notebook.
11
But how could I tell my family I wanted to quit?
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Finally, I went home and spoke to my father.
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I told him I was sorry, but medicine wasn't for me.
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To my surprise, he wasn't angry at all!
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He said he just wanted me to be happy.
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So I switched to graphic design the next autumn!
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Honestly, starting again from year one was frustrating.
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All my old classmates were already in third year!
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But now I'm in my final year, and I love it.
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That decision taught me to listen to myself.
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Being honest is hard, but it's always worth it.
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Do young people in your country choose their own careers?
23
More and more, although parents still have a big influence.
24
Is it better to follow your passion or a safe job?
25
Ideally both, but passion keeps you going when it's hard.
26
Thank you. That's the end of Part Two.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B2 speaking lesson is built on the video “IELTS Speaking Part 2: Describe a Difficult Decision You Made”. This video has 26 sentences and 240 words to shadow. The speech runs for 1:34. The speaker talks at a natural 153 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. 85% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| passion noun | /ˈpæʃən/ | A true desire sustained or prolonged. |
| topic noun | /ˈtɑpɪk/ | A subject; a theme; a category or general area of interest. |
| autumn noun | /ˈɔtəm/ | Traditionally the third of the four seasons, when deciduous trees lose their leaves, and temperatures and daylight hours decrease; typically regarded as… |
| graphic adjective | /ˈɡɹæfɪk/ | Drawn, pictorial. |
| lecture noun | /ˈlɛk.t͡ʃə/ | A spoken lesson or exposition, usually delivered to a group. |
| miserable adjective | /ˈmɪz(ə)ɹəbəl/ | In a state of misery: very sad, ill, or poor. |
| ideally adverb | /aɪˈdi.ə.li/ | In an ideal way; perfectly. |
| notebook noun | /ˈnoʊtˌbʊk/ | A book (physical or digital) in which notes or memoranda are written. |
| dread noun | /dɹɛd/ | Great fear in view of impending evil; fearful apprehension of danger; anticipatory terror. |
| classmate noun | /ˈklæs.meɪt/ | A student who is in the same class at school. |
| frustrate verb | /ˈfɹʌsˌtɹeɪt/ | To disappoint or defeat; to vex by depriving of something expected or desired. |
| teach verb | /ˈtiːt͡ʃ/ | To pass on knowledge to. |
| angry adjective | /ˈæŋ.ɡɹi/ | Displaying or feeling anger. |
| switch noun | /swɪt͡ʃ/ | A device to turn electric current on and off or direct its flow. |
| describe verb | /dɪˈskɹaɪb/ | To represent in words. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- I'd like to talk about changing my university course.
- To my surprise, he wasn't angry at all!
- Do young people in your country choose their own careers?
- Is it better to follow your passion or a safe job?
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 5 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, wasn't, I'd. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- Long words — get the stress right: miserable /ˈmɪz(ə)ɹəbəl/, ideally /aɪˈdi.ə.li/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Start at 0.75× speed, shadow it sentence by sentence, then go back to normal speed once it feels easy.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like passion, topic, autumn.
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.